Chaos
by Aloria
Summary: AZ, LG, rated for drinking, swearing & guts. Gourry's away, Zelgadis is having bad dreams of Amelia, and Lina's making deals with Mazoku, while darkness stirs behind the Gate. on hold
1. Prophecy or Imagination?

Chaos  
  
****  
  
Everything was completely pitch black as far as he could see. It frightened him of course, but at least it wasn't the Rezo dream again. He walked calmly in the blackness and he wasn't aware that there really was a floor, just that he moved. Or maybe it was just he who thought he was moving, he couldn't tell, there was nothing to see.  
  
A pinprick of light glimmered in the distance and he realized that he was moving faster. Wind whipped past his body, pulling at his clothes and hair. The wind became stronger, or perhaps he was moving faster, but it pulled at his cloak, causing it to ride up onto his neck and begin to choke him. His hands fumbled at the ruby clasp that he couldn't see to unhook and finally ripped the cloak off his shoulders in desperation.  
  
Faintly he could hear the clink of the clasp as it hit the ground. Funny how things like that always happen in dreams, as if simply because you expect them they happen. Ahead, the light had gotten brighter, and he could see that there was something floating within it. Lifting a hand, he shaded his eyes, squinting from the wind. He soon realized that the effort was useless and dropped his arm. The feeling of movement suddenly stopped as did the wind, the light turned out to be a column of light in which a figure floated. The figure was draped in white robes, seeming to almost blend in with the light. Hair almost the color of everything else around him cascaded down like a waterfall from the figure's bowed head. Everything looked bleached of color and he had nervous feeling in his gut.  
  
Slowly, he walked toward the figure, finding himself standing at the edge of the light within seconds. The sound of his last step echoed throughout the place, almost as if it really were a room. He squinted at the figure and reached into the light to touch her, for he could somehow tell it was female.  
  
His fingers contacted cold flesh and she swayed gently, lifting his eyes, he suddenly screamed in horror like he'd only felt the day Rezo had changed him. Amelia stared down at him, her eyes bulging and skin deathly white, there was a rope strapped around her neck and she was hanging from the iron rod that connected the posts of her canopy bed.  
  
*************  
  
Zelgadis sat up in bed, clutching the blankets, actually, all he seemed to have not kicked off the bed was half of a sheet. His pupils adjusted as Lina ran into the room with a lighting spell in hand and only dressed in her tunic, most of it was unbuttoned. "Zel!" she exclaimed then her face turned bright red as she saw the state Zelgadis was in. Turning her back, she left the lighting spell where it was so that Zel could see to get some pants on at least. "Are you okay? I- I heard you scream..."  
  
He muttered under his breath about Lina bursting into his room like that without thinking that he MAY not be dressed. "I'm fine, Lina, get out."  
  
Lina glanced back at him, watching as he pulled on his shirt and finally his cloak, tying it and fixing the clasp in place. Lastly, he put his belts on and attached his sword to one of them.  
  
"Zel- are you sure?" she asked as he pushed past her and stalked down the hall headed for the main room of the tavern. He wasn't expecting anyone to be up, but he needed coffee, or maybe alcohol.  
  
With a sigh, Lina went back to her room.  
  
Zelgadis sat silently at the table nearest the window in the tavern portion of the inn. In his hand rested a bottle of wine, he had yet to take a drink. Instead, his eyes stared out into the gloomy darkness that lay outside. "An omen?" he murmured to himself. "Would .. would Amelia actually do that?" His eyes narrowed and the one who hid in the shadows behind him could see the dangerous expression reflected in the quality glass. "No. Amelia wouldn't do that to herself..." To herself... he tried to push that thought away. Refusing to be dismissed, the dream still sat in his mind like the hard lump in his stomach, refusing to go away. He lifted the bottle, gripping the quark with his teeth and yanking it out then spitting it aside. The first long pull of the searing liquid made his eyes water. He eyed the label on the bottle, then took another much more cautious swallow.  
  
****  
  
Morning found him passed out in that same chair, the empty bottle on the floor and an unnatural blush across his stone skin. Lina eyed this display of total lack of self discipline and sighed. Where was the Zelgadis she had known? The one who refused to give up on anything? This was the third time he'd gotten himself drunk in the last week and frankly, it was starting to disturb her. Naga had been worse, sure, but... Zelgadis just wasn't the type to get himself drunk for no reason.  
  
"That's it.." she muttered, hands going to her hips in the firm manner of a mother hen. "I'm taking you back to Seyruun. Maybe Amelia can beat some sense into you." Lina would have done it herself, but - she knew Zelgadis had once had a crush on her.. she'd flirted with him outrageously, then Amelia had showed up. No, Lina knew very well that she and Zelgadis would end up killing each other in a relationship. Amelia could handle the Chimera's self-destructive tendencies, Lina was already getting fed up with them.  
  
So what if it had only been five days since Gourry had left her in response to an urgent message from his home. Lina had said she'd wait for him here, in Warour, but, as had been stated before, she was pissed at Zelgadis.  
  
"GET UP!" the sudden shout caused Zelgadis to start and fall out of his chair, knocking it over. "Baka," Lina stated, looking down at him with the usual look she gave before fireballing Gourry for stupidity. "Get your stuff. We're leaving."  
  
Zelgadis lay there, staring at Lina's boots with glazed eyes. "Where?" he croaked softly.  
  
A pause, then, "We're going to Seyruun."  
  
Even with a hangover, the swordsman-shaman had some wits about him, "Go..gou..." he turned decidedly green.  
  
"I'll leave a note," Lina replied haughtily. "I'm not such a little girl that I need to be babysat by Gourry all the time. Besides, I traveled by myself for a while before I met him too! Go get your stuff- or we're just going to leave it."  
  
Pitiful, simply pitiful. Lina watched as the shaman moved at a turtle's pace, crawling along the floor toward the stairs. For a moment, Zelgadis collapsed on the stairs, then managed to find the strength to keep his stomach down and the floor under him.  
  
Sighing, the sorceress went to get some breakfast. They'd leave once Zelgadis was feeling a bit better. Until then.. FOOOD!!!  
  
***** 


	2. Friends Don't Let Each Other Down

AN: Finally got some ideas for this story. Wheee!  
  
CH2  
  
**  
  
Lina sighed.  
  
Beside her, Zelgadis thumped along, looking wretched. Despite his using a Detoxify spell, he still didn't feel too well. Naga had usually been the same way after doing something like that. But Lina had never cared about Naga. Zelgadis, on the other hand WAS her friend, so his pain bothered her.  
  
"Think you're going to make it?" she asked his hooded and slightly slumped figure.  
  
A slight nod was her answer.  
  
Turning her red eyes back toward the road, she trudged along beside a farmer's field that was just beginning to bud for the spring. "You know," she said rather suddenly, "It's kind of nice to travel without Gourry or Amelia for once. A lot quieter, that's for sure." She smiled to herself, half-lidded eyes watching the ground she walked on for the moment. "It feels like I've got space to breathe again." Turning her head towards her companion again, her smile widened. "Ever get that feeling?"  
  
Another slight nod. Zelgadis lifted his hand and pulled his hood back a bit to peer at her for a moment with bloodshot eyes, then let the fabric fall back into place and protect those same eyes from the mid-afternoon sun. Lina looked up at the sky, finding it almost cloudless, except for those puffy pure white clouds that heralded good weather.  
  
"It is nice to travel without them," he spoke finally. "Almost like when we first met.. except, no one's chasing us."  
  
Lina laughed at that. So Zel could still make a joke even hung over. That was a good sign. She hoped. It bothered her how he'd been acting lately, but she didn't want to put his mind back on whatever was making him act that way, so she searched for something else to talk about. "So what were your parents like? You've never talked about your past, so sorry if it's something you don't want to talk about."  
  
He was silent for a moment, "No, it's alright... Actually, I don't remember them."  
  
"That's rather funny. I don't remember my parents either. All I really had was Luna." Lina shook her head, giving a bit of a sigh. "She was a devil to live with, that's for sure."  
  
Zelgadis pursed his lips slightly, "Was she really all that bad?" he asked as they passed a farmer with an old draft horse plowing part of his field. Lina glanced toward the rather handsome young man, who in turn looked there way, lifting an arm to wipe sweat from his brow and readjust his straw hat.  
  
"What about your siblings?" she asked her companion.  
  
A sigh escaped Zelgadis's lips, "I didn't have any. The only family I knew was Eris and Rezo," he lifted a hand to rub at his face some. Zel frowned slowly, brow furrowing. "Now.. that I come to think of it.. I can't really remember much before being turned into a Chimera." He shook his head. "Maybe it will come back one I'm cured."  
  
Lina laughed once more, swinging her hand out to slap him on the back. "THAT'S the spirit!" she proclaimed, then realized she probably just broke her hand and clutched it to her chest in pain.  
  
In return, Zelgadis slowly began to laugh as well, his back stinging from the blow. "Your hand alright?"  
  
"Of course it is," Lina stated haughtily, tipping her nose up somewhat, covertly casting a healing spell on her hand. Thankfully, her time of month was a day ago.  
  
The sun was briefly covered by a cloud, but that did nothing to Lina's mood. Zelgadis was simply glad for the slight shade, it dulled down the bright glare that he was currently seeing. His eyes lowered to the ground for a moment after glancing ahead to see the fork in the road and the distant town. He took the plunge. "I've been having dreams lately... not my normal Rezo dreams, but.. these are worse."  
  
Lina stopped humming and watched him as she walked. This was serious, it deserved her full attention- and no rude comments. Though inwardly, she was pleased that he trusted her enough to speak of such things to her. She said nothing and after another ten feet or so of walking, Zelgadis dared to peek at her. He seemed rather surprised that she was apparently listening.  
  
"I'm not going to laugh at you Zel," she stated firmly, "You're my friend, and I can tell that it's been bothering you. You're worth listening to."  
  
Zelgadis turned his face away, biting his lip a moment before continuing. "I keep dreaming about Amelia.. Last night.." he dared look up at the sky and squinted as the cloud that had been covering the sun moved on finally. "It started out fine, I was standing in an expanse of black, but then I started moving. There was a light ahead and when it got close enough, I could see a figure floating in it."  
  
Lina almost giggled. Poor Zelgadis, having love-dreams of Amelia.  
  
"I came closer and reached out to touch the figure- to find it was Amelia.. she was hanging from a rope around her neck and quite dead."  
  
Lina stopped in her tracks, all amusement- and blood- drained from her body. "I-" she blinked a few times, forcing herself to breathe. Zelgadis stopped as well, turning to look back at her. "It's just a dream, Zel. We're going to Seyruun, and you'll see her, and she'll be alright. I promise." Lina smiled, the light returning to her eyes. "I promise."  
  
Zel shook his head slightly, "What if she's not?"  
  
Immediately, Lina clenched her fists, and grinned maniacally, "Then we'll blast whoever's responsible!"  
  
"That would hardly fix the problem." Zelgadis turned his back toward Lina and started walking once more.  
  
Hurrying to catch up, Lina grabbed hold of her friend's arm and looped hers in it, walking beside him once more, "Zel, you know her, she's more capable of taking care of herself than you know. I'm sure she's fine, and if she's not, then we'll get there in time to fix the problem. No one messes with MY friends and gets away with it."  
  
Beneath his hood, Zelgadis couldn't help but smile.  
  
***  
  
The castle was dark, it was midnight after all. But a lone figure walked the halls, clad only in a white silk night gown that hung rather shapelessly from a well formed body.  
  
"I will get them..." a voice echoed though the hall as bare feet padded down the cold marble floors. "They'll pay for ruining it." The voice was soft, but filled with hatred and the lust for revenge. "They'll pay with their lives. By my hand they will die."  
  
Light from the moon glowed though a window as the figure passed like a ghost. Messy dark hair caught the light and soaked it in, reflecting some back almost as brightly as metal would. Bloodshot eyes glittered in the darkness briefly, then the figure passed by the window.  
  
*** 


	3. Something's in the Air

CH3  
  
Phil sighed softly as he gazed at his new wife.. no where near as beautiful as his first wife had been, but that had been a marriage of love. This marriage was quite different. It was either marry her or risk the political situation with her country deteriorating. Phil had always wanted the best for his country, and a war wouldn't have done much good for the people. He simply hoped Amelia would never have to make such a choice.  
  
The woman was from Zelphillia, the wine country just slightly north and to the west of Seyruun. Regina was a tall, broad-shouldered woman, with slightly frizzy black hair down to her bulging hips. Her face was shaped like a block, her nose like the beak of a hawk, and her eyes were about the same color as her hair. At least she dressed nice, so the ladies of the court were impressed with that. Little good that did though. Ever since his father's death, things had been somewhat unstable. Only one thing had changed in the palace- or two, counting Phil's new wife, but in terms of the administration, only Phil had changed positions.  
  
She lifted her dark eyes and smiled at her husband, her hands pausing in their careful embroidery. "Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice was one of the other few redeeming qualities, it was kind, not as deep as one would have expected her voice to be.  
  
"A slight headache is all," Phil replied, turning his eyes back towards the paperwork that sat upon his desk. His office was neat, with a few chairs for visitors set near the large desk at which the king himself sat. He simply wished Regina would, or could, do some of his usual paperwork. But, she had been raised in a country that thought women had no right to do the jobs of men, so all she was capable of doing was embroidery and watching him get frustrated over things he shouldn't have had to deal with in the first place.  
  
A tap on the door interrupted his thoughts and made both the king and consort look in that direction. Amelia opened the door slightly and peeked in, "Are you busy daddy?" she asked.  
  
Phil grinned widely, standing from behind his desk. "Of course not dear!" he stated cheerfully, coming around the desk to hug her once she'd entered. "Do you need something?"  
  
"I just wanted to tell you I was going for a ride." She turned her sparkling blue eyes up toward her father.  
  
His grin widened, "Alright dear, be careful- and always keep Justice in your heart!" Regina grimaced.  
  
Amelia nodded firmly, "I will daddy." Turning, she left and Phil retook his seat at his desk, his gaze falling on the papers once more. Finally, he got back to work on them, waiting for the next distraction.  
  
***  
  
Amelia yawned widely, lifting one hand to cover her mouth as she rode her horse Snowy out of the city. She'd felt so tired lately, as if something were sapping her energy while she slept. Oh well. Perhaps she could take a nap while she was out. Guiding her horse with her knees, the princess stretched her arms above her head, yawning again. A nap did sound like a good idea. But where to have one?  
  
It was almost as if a light had turned on. "That lovely clearing with the stream I found last week!" she exclaimed, clenching one hand into a fist and setting her shoulders. "That will do nicely!"  
  
Taking hold of the reigns again, Amelia turned her horse off the road once she'd gotten into the forest. Following a narrow path, only wide enough for one horse, she came to the aforementioned clearing with the stream. And blinked..  
  
"What- happened here?" she asked slowly, bringing Snowy to a stop and staring at the wreckage that lay before her. The ground was torn up, as if claws had raked it, the trees scratched and the bark peeling off in strips. The stream had been widened on one side and water stood in some of the gouges in the mossy ground like irrigation ditches in a field.  
  
"They ruined it," a voice murmured, softly, with a hint of madness. "They ruined it, and I'm going to get them back!"  
  
Amelia clenched onto Snowy's reigns, the horse nickering in fear. "Who said that?" the princess asked, looking around the clearing and finding no one. Her gaze finally traveled upwards- to the trees. Perched on a branch was a young woman wearing a silk almost shapeless nightgown splattered in mud, with messy dark hair, her eyes shadowed.  
  
"Why are you here?" the girl asked, her grip tightening on the branch. "Go away! This is my place! MINE! They ruined it! I'll kill them! They ruined it!" she howled.  
  
In fear, Amelia turned Snowy and kicked her into a dead run, crashing through the brush and back down the main road. Behind her, she could hear the scream. "I'LL KILL THEM!"  
  
***  
  
The young man scowled, bringing his sword up and back down, stopping it expertly at waist level. The light of the morning sun shimmered though the trees and spilled a slightly green color across the lone figure in the forest.  
  
"Damn it," he muttered. "I'll never get that move right..." Lowering the tip of his sword to the ground, he pushed his dark and sweaty bangs back from his angular face. "Will I ever be as strong as dad?" Flopping down to the leafy ground, he lay the blade across his knees, light blue eyes gazing into the gleaming reflection of his own face. "Probably not," he answered his own question. "If it hasn't happened by now, then it's not likely TO happen."  
  
He chewed on his lip a bit, "Waste of my fucken time!" he growled and flung the sword aside. Leaves puffed up, then slowly settled back down over top of the sword. "If only I'd taken up Grandpa's offer to teach me magic. Maybe being a sorcerer isn't as bad as I'd thought it would be." He gazed down at his callused hands, slowly folding his fingers and unfolding them again.  
  
Flopping back in the dead leaves that littered the ground while above him, the trees were beginning to come to leaf again, he stared at the somewhat hazed sky. "Shit.. I've got chores." Getting up, he dusted himself off and retrieved his sword, sliding it into his belt and crashing though the woods toward Rivindal, a town only three days walk from New Siraag.  
  
The air ripped and a figure draped in a purple cloak landed on the leaves the young man had just gotten up from. The youth continued running, unaware that shards of amethyst eyes watched him carefully. With a soft chuckle, the eyes closed into a habitual smile and the air ripped again, the man disappearing.  
  
*** 


	4. Swift Moving River, Tides of Change

CH4  
  
"If we travel all night once per week at least, we should be able to get to Seyruun in three weeks instead of four," Zelgadis stated and sipped his coffee, eyes staring at the rough wood of the table.  
  
Lina forced herself not to scowl, doing so would have made her stomach turn and all the good food she just ate would just sit in her gut like a pile of rocks. The thought of losing sleep over the whole thing wasn't her idea of fun, that's for sure. But if it would help Zelgadis somehow, then she knew she had to do it. Sometimes.. being friends with him was a lot of work!  
  
Zel lifted his icy blue eyes and gazed at Lina for a moment, then went back to his coffee. "If you don't want to, fine. I could get there much faster on my own-"  
  
WHAM!  
  
Zelgadis jerked back and looked up to find Lina standing, her chair knocked backwards and fist on the table. "You're NOT going alone!" she snapped, then seemed to calm down somewhat, picking up her chair and flopping into it.  
  
"I don't LIKE the idea of traveling all night, but if that's what we have to do to get there faster, fine," she casually flipped her hair back from her face.  
  
The chimera sighed heavily, taking another sip of his coffee- hiding his smile behind the mug.  
  
***  
  
Amelia strolled down the halls casually, her light pink skirts rustling with every step. A flicker of movement caught her eye, causing her to look that direction. She was only fast enough to see a floppy night-gown clad back slide into a room and shut the door.  
  
Slowly, Amelia blinked. "How'd SHE get in the palace.. I swear I've never seen her before- except for in that clearing..." Turning towards the door, she crept carefully towards it and pressed her ear against the wood.  
  
"Where is it!" crashes and thumps came from within, as well as the enraged voice of the tormented girl. "Where IS it!"  
  
Cautiously, the princess opened the door to the room and peeked in, finding the sitting room of one of the guest suites. The room in a wreck, books torn off shelves, pages ripped from them, the cushions of the furniture shredded, and the crazy girl wrestling with a pillow. Finally the seams of the pillow gave way and feathers puffed out onto the expensive throw rug.  
  
Forcing herself to remain calm, Amelia stepped in and closed the door behind her. "What are you looking for?" she asked gently. "Maybe I can help you find it?"  
  
The girl rounded on Amelia, her eyes wild, somewhat long hair cut badly, unwashed and unbrushed. "It's MINE! You can't have it!"  
  
Shaking her head, the princess stayed where she was, "What's your name? I'm Amelia."  
  
"Ailema," the girl said in an almost hissing tone of voice.  
  
Amelia swallowed, "Your name is Ailema? It's.. a pretty name."  
  
The girl laughed maniacally and ran into the bedroom of the suit and was out on the balcony before Amelia could even get to the door of the room. Over the edge of the balcony the girl went, and disappeared into the shadows of the garden. "What a weird girl..." Returning to the sitting room of the suit, Amelia looked over the mess. "I suppose I could clean it up... How did she get into the palace anyway?"  
  
***  
  
He sprawled silently on his throne, mouth pressed against the palm of one hand, elbow resting on the arm of the stone chair. He didn't like it, not in the least, but it had to be done in order to survive.  
  
"Where is she now?" he asked finally, his voice echoing though the huge stone room, his breath misting in the cold air.  
  
The air ripped and the figure that emerged went to their knees, light blue hair tied into a long braid falling across one shoulder, eyes shadowed for the moment. "She is making her way towards Seyruun, Master, currently she is near Two Springs."  
  
The man shifted, sitting up somewhat, "Why?" he asked, cold eyes focusing on the woman who kneeled before him.  
  
She smirked ever so lightly in response, "To visit a friend, My Lord, Amelia Wil Tessa De Seyruun."  
  
An abrupt nod, then the man stood, his black cloak and robes rustling with the movement. "Then I will take this time to pay my respects to the Dramatta."  
  
"Yes My Lord," the woman replied and disappeared. A moment after, he too seemed to snap out of existence, though it seemed he did so reluctantly.  
  
***  
  
Zalas's eyes narrowed, "Where are you going, dear brother..." she murmured to herself as she listened to the echoes of the Astral plane. "Do you really think you could move without anyone noticing? You haven't moved for centuries. Why now? What has gotten you so interested.."  
  
She smiled, one hand lifting to remove the cigarette from her mouth and blow smoke towards her general and priest who kneeled before her. "Follow him," she stated casually, flicking the ash off to the side.  
  
"Yes, Lady." Without waiting for another word, Xelloss disappeared.  
  
Another more wicked smile came to her lips and she took a slow drag on the cigarette. "Dear, dear brother.. you may have set things in motion. Can you keep up? Or will you be swept away by the current? You never did like change much, did you?" with that, she gave a throaty laugh.  
  
*** 


	5. Playing With Fire

CH5  
  
Blast and double damn! Lina HATED rain. And worst of all, she had to be IN it. At least Zelgadis was nice enough to give her his cloak because it had a hood and he couldn't exactly catch a cold. She was still quite soggy though, and it put her in a foul mood.  
  
Scowling at the rain, it took her a moment to realize that there were lights ahead, dimly seen though the pouring rain, but lights meant shelter, shelter more than likely meant people, and people meant FOOD! "Zel!" she shouted, reaching out of the somewhat long cloak to pull on his sleeve. "There's light ahead!" He pulled himself out of his dour thoughts and blinked in the direction his companion pointed. "Maybe they'll let us in!" With that, she began running, her feet landing in puddles and splashing mud up her pants and across the end of Zel's cloak. With a sigh, the chimera followed her, what else WAS there to do? He wanted his cloak back, after all.  
  
The lights turned out to be lanterns glowing though the windows of a house. It was odd that a farm house would have their shutters open in the current weather, but Zelgadis soon realized that the windows contained hazy glass.  
  
Lina dashed straight up the steps and onto the porch where she was about to bang on the door with her fist and demand to be let in. She fell into the house instead. A tall woman with light blue hair tied in a braid had opened the door, her body clad in armor of black with silver trim. "Welcome, Lina Inverse," the woman stated, "My master has been waiting for you."  
  
Slowly, Lina got off her face and pushed her soaking hair back, Zelgadis coming to stand behind her, his eyes narrowed slightly on the woman. "Please.. come in," a different voice said. This voice was that of a man's, calm, somewhat breathy, as if he didn't feel like taking the energy to really put his heart into speaking. Lina straightened, pushing her shoulders back and marched into the house.  
  
It wasn't big, simply one room, the only light being the lantern that sat on the window sill. Zelgadis finally realized.. that was not glass, but ice. His eyes snapped back towards the somewhat shadowed corner in which a man dressed in black robes and cloak sprawled nonchalantly in a chair. There was another chair in the room, set in the center to be exact. In all, it was cold, hardly the thing Lina had wanted when being saved from pouring rain.  
  
Lifting icy colored eyes, the man who looked to be perhaps twenty lifted one hand to brush his black hair back from his face, he smiled, though even that was icy. "A pleasure, Dramatta," he stated, "Please, have a seat."  
  
Lina scowled, "I think I'll stand," she stated, folding her arms on her chest. Her eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
The man nodded slightly, "As you wish," he replied. A moment passed, and the man spoke again, "You have likely figured out who I am by now, so there is no need for that. I came because I have a proposition to make with you."  
  
The sorceress tipped her head to the side, looking vaguely coy. "What makes you think I'd WANT to make a deal with you?"  
  
The woman's hand went to her sword, but her master lifted a hand, she relaxed and leaned back against the door. "For self preservation. You're not stupid... which is exactly the mistake Gaav and Phibrizzo made in dealing with you. Simply because you'd been defeated once did not mean you would allow them to do so again." Slowly, he sat forward in the chair, resting his arms on his knees. "My deal is thus- you don't bother me or my people, we wont bother you. Simple? You have my word, Dramatta."  
  
"That's no promise that other Mazoku won't bother me though," Lina stated somewhat casually.  
  
The man nodded once more, "Indeed it is not, but I have no control over those who do not look to me as master. By accepting, you will at least have one less enemy. Though I will not join your side should a battle ensue."  
  
Flipping a hand, Lina placed her fists on her hips, "I wasn't expecting that. Alright, Dynast. You've got a deal. Just tell your people to not get in my way."  
  
Another smile came to the man's pale lips and he stood, "Seeing as how I've delayed you in your travel, my general will take you to the next town." With that, he left. The air in the room seemed less crowded. The woman, however remained.  
  
The air rippled, seemed to rip, then reformed, the two found themselves standing in front of an inn, one that happened to be called Two Springs Inn. "ALRIGHT!" Lina shouted and dashed inside, Zelgadis following. He had a nervous feeling about what had just happened.. one could never really trust Mazoku as much as they'd like you to.  
  
***  
  
"Dear brother.." a lazy haze of cigarette smoke floated up from deep red lips, "Playing with her?"  
  
"Spying again, Zelas?" Dynast's icy eyes narrowed as he glided forward, ascending the steps that lead to his throne- in which the beastmaster lounged. "It would do you good to learn manners."  
  
Zelas heaved a breath, the tight fabric of her deep red dress stretching a moment, "Perhaps... But why now?"  
  
He paused, gazing at her, "For the same reason that forced me to contact her."  
  
The beastmaster's eyes narrowed and she sat up in the stone throne of Dynast. "And what reason was that?"  
  
Leaning forward, Dynast took hold of the woman's delicate chin, a smirk painting his lips, "You play with her, Zelas... you play, but she will reawaken, and you will be burned. Remember the destruction of before, when she rebelled against us? When many of our race turned against the true meaning of the war.." His hand slowly tipped her face back, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Yes, you remember. As do I. And I will not be on the wrong side of her power."  
  
"She may yet turn on you," Zelas hissed between clenched teeth, her hand coming up to grip Dynast's wrist and dig her nails into the flesh.  
  
Dynast drew back, still smirking, "Ah, but just as Gaav changed, she has changed. She will keep her promise with me so long as I keep my part. Go ahead and play with her Zelas, but your foolish games may wake the demon inside... she knows who Xelloss belongs to. She won't hesitate."  
  
The air shredded and Zelas disappeared, a look of displeasure on her beautiful face. Dynast gave a breathy laugh and reclaimed his place on his throne. "It is done.. now all there is to do is watch."  
  
*** 


	6. Leprechaun Frogs

CH6  
  
Regina laughed softly, lifting her teacup and sipping from it. Phil smiled in return. She wasn't really that bad, certainly had a charming wit and sparkling personality. He sipped his own tea as silence settled over the small table. They were taking a day off, doing 'bonding' as Amelia had suggested. All three of them seated at a table set up in the gardens.  
  
Amelia had been quiet, but attentive, listening and speaking when spoken to, being very polite, despite the fact that Phil KNEW what she thought of his remarrying. She was trying at least, and that was what counted for him. His eyes traveled to his beloved youngest daughter, watching as the sunlight glittered off her mid-back length hair and bright blue eyes, though they seemed to hold a hint of fatigue lately. "Any word from your friends?" he asked.  
  
"No, daddy," she sighed, setting her cup down, "It's like they dropped off the face of the world. I hope they're alright... but knowing Lina-san, she probably got them into something they couldn't handle."  
  
Regina looked on with interest, sipping her tea, a slight smile hidden behind the cup. "Perhaps you should go find them?" she offered finally.  
  
Amelia shook her head, "I wouldn't know where to start." Taking a breath, the princess straightened, "I think I'll go for a walk, though," she smiled at her father and stepmother. "Please, enjoy yourselves." With that, she took a last sip from her tea and set the cup down. Standing gracefully, Amelia made her way off into the garden, moving into the maze of eight-foot tall hedges.  
  
"Such a well behaved girl," Regina murmured, gaining a grin from Phil.  
  
***  
  
Her lips curled back into a vicious sneer, "Got you now!" she snarled and slammed her hands down over a small green frog, squashing it into the ground.  
  
Amelia stopped, going pale a moment and blinked, "How do you keep getting into the palace?" she asked, slowly making her way forward to stand just within polite distance from the other girl who was still clad in a silk almost shapeless nightgown.  
  
Ailema slowly turned her head to stare up at Amelia with wild cornflower blue eyes. "I live here."  
  
Prudence dictated that Amelia not say anything more about that subject. "What're you doing?"  
  
"Hunting," the crazy girl said rather cheerfully in return. She was kneeling in the flowerbed next to the hedge wall in the center of the maze, almost her whole front covered in mud.  
  
Amelia chewed on her lip and dared to ask, "Hunting what?"  
  
"THEM!" Ailema stated triumphantly, lifting her hands and showing the princess a small frog, one that was perhaps a centimeter in diameter. "They were the ones who ruined it," Ailema hissed, staring down at the creature for a moment before shoving it into her mouth and biting down hard, chewing a few times, the girl then spit the carcass out. "Leprechaun Frogs."  
  
The princess felt rather nervous, this poor girl was highly insane. "They're so small.. how could they do anything like- what happened to the clearing?"  
  
Ailema straightened, some drool tinged with frog-blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. "They only look like that in the day.. the only time you can kill them. At night, they become man sized, with claws, and penises- "  
  
Amelia blanched. What a disgusting mind this poor girl had. To have delusions of such things.. and about FROGS.  
  
The girl, however, continued talking, "They eat things.. favorite things. They ate it.. I know they did. I can't find it anywhere, so I know they ate it. I'll kill them all!" Thankfully, the girl's attention was distracted from the princess and she went back to hunting 'leprechaun frogs'.  
  
Shivering, Amelia turned and made her way out of the maze. She'd just have to ask her dad about Ailema as well as what else she'd been thinking of to ask him. Though the second part was probably wishful thinking, after all, Zelgadis wouldn't ask her to marry him.. but on the off chance that he did... She smiled to herself, thoughts of Zelgadis drowning out the disturbing encounter with the crazy girl.  
  
***  
  
"I don't like it," Zelgadis muttered after sipping his coffee and setting the mug down on the rough wooden table, "Mazoku lords just don't make peace treaties without SOME ulterior motive."  
  
Lina glowered, "I KNOW that, Zel. But there's not much we can do about it now, nor is there any way we can undo what's already happened. It works to our advantage anyway. Dynast is one less Mazoku we don't have to kill. At least not for the moment."  
  
The chimera sighed, rubbing his forehead. "In any case, we should be leaving soon." Lina sighed.  
  
"Still having those dreams?" she asked, watching as he nodded ever so slightly.  
  
"They're.. easier to deal with now that I know I'm doing what I can." He glanced around nervously to see if any of the other occupants of the inn had heard Lina's words. There weren't many others in the place, and none were looking their way. The only suspicious looking person was seated in the far back corner near the stairs up to the rooms. He was sitting with his back towards the rest of the room, wearing a deep purple cloak with a hood pulled over his head. Zelgadis assumed the person was male anyway. The shoulders were a bit too broad to be female, though the traveler MAY have been a somewhat husky woman.  
  
Folding her arms, Lina set them on the table, leaning forward slightly, "Zelgadis, did you ever stop to wonder if perhaps there's a different reason you're having these dreams?" She was rewarded with a deep glower. "Like maybe.. you're in love with her?" He said nothing, his brow simply twitched slightly. "Just wondering if you'd thought of that. Either way, Amelia should be able to straighten you out." Lina sat back and smirked at her companion.  
  
Zelgadis pushed himself to his feet and stalked out of the inn. She'd leave him alone for a bit, finish her breakfast, and maybe he'd have gotten into a better mood and thought about what she said. It was her hope he would, anyway. The other possibility was that he'd leave her. But she could catch up if he tried to do that, she knew where he was going. Despite her words, he'd still head towards Seyruun.. just to make sure Amelia WAS alright.  
  
In the back corner, the hooded figure lifted a white gloved hand, gesturing for the waitress to attend him.  
  
*** 


	7. Deepsea's Quest

CH7  
  
Deepsea Dolphin lay on her stomach in the middle of the floor, staring at a set of Mahjong pieces that were in a pile between her and the mysterious Mazoku who'd come to tell her something.. the same Mazoku whom she hadn't let speak until he won a game of Mahjong with her. Slowly, she reached out and pulled a piece away, grinning maniacally at her opponent- who only smirked mysteriously from beneath the hood of his purple cloak.  
  
He reached out a white gloved hand and pulled a piece away.  
  
Back and forth, they went, until finally. "I believe I've won, Lady Dolphin," he stated.  
  
For a moment, Deepsea scowled and was tempted to challenge him again- for this had been more entertaining than anything she'd done in the last thousand years.  
  
"I remind, I came for a reason.."  
  
A smile spread across her lips, "Alright, you won, so you can tell me," she said cheerfully, sliding her legs under her and sitting up. "I hope it's entertaining!"  
  
The Mazoku smirked, "I believe it will be," he replied. "You see.. I heard that Dynast moved recently."  
  
For a moment, Deepsea was quiet, then grinned lifting her hands to clap excitedly, "Oh! Why'd he do that?"  
  
A single finger was produced from an uplifted hand, "Sore wa himitsu desu." With that, he stood, and disappeared.  
  
"A secret, hmm?" Deepsea giggled, "I LOVE finding out secrets!"  
  
***  
  
The room was dark as ever, at least until one got within range of the two braziers that stood on either side of the stone throne set upon a dais. The ceiling was lost in shadows as was the end of the room before the throne. And standing before the throne was a woman of perhaps eighteen wearing a dress that may as well have been woven from seaweed. Her hair was flowing shades of blue, the sides clipped back on the back of her head by a starfish. In all, she was a very beautiful woman, except for her expression.  
  
She was scowling. DEEPLY. "If it's such a small thing, then why did you move?!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. The man who sprawled in his stone throne before her, his body clad in black robes and cloak didn't even blink. He was just the same as she'd last saw him.. a thousand years ago. "And if it's so SMALL why won't you TELL ME?!" Deepsea Dolphin clenched her slender and delicate hands into fists and stomped her slipper clad foot in much the same way a child would do in a temper tantrum. The stone of the room rumbled ominously. Dust shifted down from the immensely high ceiling.  
  
Dynast sighed, rubbing his forehead. If he didn't know that Mazoku couldn't get headaches... "It's nothing, Dolphin, and you would leave it be if you knew what was good for you."  
  
The floor beneath her cracked from the sheer force of her anger. Green fire swirled out around her, lighting the ground eerily, the walls were simply too far off to have even been touched by the light. "Good for me?" she growled, her green eyes flaring to match the strange fires around her.  
  
A yawn was her answer, "Your display does not impress me, now go away."  
  
"I'll find out eventually!" she threatened raising a fist towards him. Dynast remained unmoved.  
  
"I'm sure you will," he stated, though rather sarcastically. The air ripped, and the lord of the Demon Sea disappeared, leaving the wreckage she'd caused as a calling card.  
  
Dynast sighed, listening to the Astral echoes as Deepsea appeared on Wolf Pack Island. She'd likely get the same treatment there. "She doesn't know when to quit, does she?" he asked with a hint of boredom, glancing to the side where Scherra stood. The faintest hint of a smirk touched the blue- haired woman's lips.  
  
***  
  
The sky was still very overcast, but at least it wasn't raining like it was the day and night before. Lina was beginning to think it quite lucky that Dynast had talked to them. She hadn't had to walk five more hours in the rain to get to Two Springs.  
  
Zelgadis hadn't gone off on his own, just gone to wait just outside of town for her to finish up. Even now, he was being gloomily silent.  
  
"Oi! Lina!" an annoying and very familiar voice stated in her ear.  
  
Lina shrieked, spinning around and smacking Xelloss in the face with the back of her fist. "Itai..." he mumbled from where he lay on his back in a puddle on the road. Zelgadis turned and smirked, feeling some pleasure at seeing the fruitcake in immense pain.  
  
The sorceress scowled, "You deserved that for startling me. Now, what do you want?"  
  
Slowly, Xelloss picked himself up, rubbing at his bloody nose with one white gloved hand, "I just wanted to tell you that there's an All You Can Eat for a Silver buffet not that far from here."  
  
"What are YOU getting out of telling us that?" Zelgadis snapped immediately, grabbing hold of the back of Lina's cloak as she was about to leap upon Xelloss and demand to know where it was.  
  
A smirk.. A lifted finger.. and those dreaded words. "Sore wa himitsu d-" sadly, Xelloss did not get to finish, he found Zelgadis's boot in his mouth.  
  
"You chased him away!" Lina howled when Xelloss disappeared. "I wanted to-" the sorceress turned sparking eyes toward her companion, the chimera almost imagined her growing fangs and horns. Forcing himself to blink that image away, he stared her down.  
  
"Fine. YOU can go to it, I'm continuing toward Seyruun," he stated after a minute of glaring at each other.  
  
Her lips pressed together, her fists clenched by her sides. "FINE!" she shouted and continued stomping down the road the direction they were heading.  
  
Zelgadis was beginning to feel tired. The drive to get to Seyruun was almost the only thing keeping him on his feet anymore. It wasn't like he needed MUCH sleep, but he did need some, and sadly, the sleep he did get was swamped with visions of Amelia being raped by frogs. Very imaginative, but also very disturbing.  
  
Glancing up towards the sullen sky, Zelgadis finally turned and hurried to catch up with Lina who hadn't noticed he wasn't following just yet. Beneath his cloak, he brushed his fingers across the bracelet Amelia had given him which he had hanging off the hilt of his sword.  
  
***  
  
He moved along down the street, carrying the groceries from the market area of town. His brow was somewhat sweaty from the work, but overhead, the sky was hanging low as if waiting for the right moment to drop on the world and flatten the people on it. Depressive thoughts, but that was how he always thought the world was like.  
  
Unless you were a hero.. or someone strong and powerful who could go out and defeat monsters and save the innocent and be thought of as dark hearted and mysterious. But in a small town, everyone knew who you were, your family, your birthday, your birthmarks... He knew things about people in town he really wished he'd never been told, but somehow, they thought it was alright for everyone to know that Martha had diarrhea last week, or that his great grandfather was someone highly important- which they never ceased to pester him about.  
  
'When's your grandpa coming to visit?' 'Will he heal my brother's broken toe?' 'Can he make fireballs?' 'Does he have a wife yet?' CEPHIED he hated these people, but couldn't leave for fear that he wasn't strong enough to survive in the wild world beyond the immediate area of Rivindal.  
  
Freeing a hand, he pushed his dark hair back from his face and tromped up to the front door of his house. They still had the shutters closed, figuring it would probably begin raining soon, but his parents had sent him out to do the shopping anyway. Another thing that pissed him off royally. Despite how important his family was to Rivinal, his parents still treated him like shit. 'Being the oldest has responsibilities' "My ass," he muttered. Like he had a choice in being the oldest, like he'd CHOSEN for his parents to have six more kids after him?  
  
"Eighteen and practically a slave. I want OUT of this fucken town!" he growled as he stepped into his cramped house and found that there was no one in the main room. That was fine, it gave him room to put the food away. Though, as soon as he started doing so, his youngest brother, who was almost three, entered and immediately got underfoot. He hadn't been watching, but as soon as Kytan's butt hit the floor, the boy started shrieking at the top of his lungs. Directly afterwards, his mother came in, carrying Lila, age six months, whom upon hearing Kytan howling began to scream as well.  
  
"What'd you do to Kytan! Haven't I told you to be nice to your siblings! You're so clumsy and stupid sometimes, I can't believe you're related to me at all-" his mother began her usual tirade. Another reason why he wanted OUT of Rivindal.  
  
Setting down the remainder of the groceries on the table and aware of the rest of the family filing into the main room, he clenched his fists at his sides, forcing himself not to hurt any of them. "CEPHIED!" he shouted over the racket, "What does it take to not get criticized for an accident?!" Turning, he stepped over Kytan and slammed the door shut on his way out.  
  
Even with the walls and several meters of distance, he could still hear his siblings howling and his mother screaming at them to shut up. If he were strong.. he could make them stop. If he were strong, he could leave and never have to deal with them again. If he were strong... he could meet the woman of his dreams, actually talk to her.  
  
He sighed, making his way around behind the house and sneaking into the bedroom where he retrieved his sword and got back out before anyone noticed he hadn't really left. Making a b-line towards the forest, he didn't notice the cloaked figure standing just around the corner. A smirk touched the man's face, eyes closed with the expression.  
  
*** 


	8. Information that comes too late

CH8 (Information That Comes too Late)  
  
Deepsea stared at Dyast in .. shock. "Dead? What about- Gaav?"  
  
Dynast sighed and shifted in his chair, "Dead as well."  
  
"Who did it?!" she shouted, clenching her fists, the stone beneath her cracking a bit more, some of it turning to powder. "I'll kill them! I'll rip them to pieces! How DARE they kill my brothers!"  
  
Once again Dynast had to remind himself that Mazoku could NOT get headaches simply because they didn't really have physical bodies. "It is in the past. They brought it on themselves by harassing someone powerful."  
  
Deepsea Dolphin ground her teeth together. "FINE! If you won't tell me, I'll ask Zelas!"  
  
"You won't get much from her, but you can try," Dynast commented lazily, resting his chin on his knuckles, elbow on the arm of his stone throne. The Lord of the Demon Sea scowled and disappeared. Though she was getting mad at her siblings, the quest to find out what had been happening in the world the last thousand years as well as the quest to find out why Dynast had moved was turning out to be interesting. She had an excuse to harass Dynast as WELL as Zelas, though Gaav was a lot of fun too, but apparently he was killed by something, as well as Phibrizzo.. how ANYONE had killed THAT little brat was another mystery Deepsea would eventually unravel. And once she found out who it was, she'd go thank the person. That was ONE sibling she could definitely live without!  
  
**  
  
"Oi! Lina!" a familiar voice, that usually meant much frustration was in store, stated loudly in the sorceress's ear.  
  
Lina swirled around and smacked the Mazoku's face with her fist, which caused the floating Xelloss to slam into a nearby tree, then slide down it. "What is it NOW Xelloss!?" she demanded to know, scowling. She was NOT in a good mood after all.  
  
Slowly, Xelloss got to his knees, then to his feet, rubbing at his right eye. "I just wanted to tell you that there was an old forgotten tomb just a little ways back..."  
  
The sorceress stared at Xelloss, remembering how just an hour ago he'd tried to make them turn away from the road to Seyruun by telling her that there was a stream with the biggest salmon ever not that far off the path.. and the hour before that it was something about a bandit's hide-out, and the day before that it was the all you can eat for a silver piece buffet as well as something about a cure for Chimera-ism, which Zelgadis had listened to but otherwise ignored. Her eyes narrowed. "What're you up to?" she asked, aware that Zelgadis had completely ignored the Mazoku and continued walking.  
  
Grabbing hold of Xelloss's shirt, she pulled him along after her as she went to catch up with her moody friend. "I'm not up to anything!" Xelloss exclaimed, attempting to maintain an air of innocence. Alas, he simply couldn't look INNOCENT the way any child could simply because for one, he was too tall, and second, Lina didn't personally think he was that cute. Well, physically, yes, he was handsome, but she really didn't want to think of what her life would be like if she were to date a Mazoku.. Luna would have a fit, that's for sure. Not to forget the part where Xelloss pukes from being loved.  
  
"Yeah right, Xelloss, save it for someone who doesn't know you," Lina stated grouchily, stalking along and still dragging the purple haired priest by the front of his shirt. Rather suddenly though, Lina found that she was holding nothing. She only had time to blink once before Xelloss was in front of her and Zelgadis, his hand holding- a pink cloth-banded bracelet with a large blue gem.  
  
"Ah," the Mazoku said softly, looking at the bracelet, dodging Zelgadis's attempts to snatch it back. "This was Amelia's, correct?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer.  
  
"Give it BACK!" Zelgadis growled and ran after the gliding Mazoku, leaving Lina by herself.  
  
"Hey!" the sorceress shouted and cast a Rei Wing, following after the two. She was rather amazed at how fast Xelloss could go- and why he was bothering to do it on the physical plane instead of simply teleporting away with his loot.  
  
Zelgadis was keeping up fairly well, and this too surprised Lina, who had never really SEEN Zelgadis move as fast as he could- except when he'd been her enemy, and even then she hadn't seen much. Rather hard to see anything when the whole world is a blur. Now, however, she was watching things as a third party- and starting to sweat simply because she was finding it hard to keep up. Maybe this is what Filia had felt like when they'd tried to catch up with Darkstar.. hadn't it been Zelgadis's idea to go up then dive down? Maybe it would work here too?  
  
**  
  
He didn't even realize what was going on, simply that Xelloss had stolen the one thing that Zelgadis cherished above any of his other possessions. Even his sword paled in comparison to how much that bracelet meant to him. Maybe Lina was right. Maybe he was fretting over Amelia because his subconscious was trying to tell him he was in love with her.. But why the weird dreams? Surely this wasn't normal!  
  
Zelgadis blinked, realizing that Xelloss was gaining speed, and he shoved his thoughts aside in preference of closing the distance between them. Rather suddenly, they burst into a clearing in which a lone figure stood- but both the Mazoku and the Chimera ignored him. Xelloss turned his path, leading Zelgadis in a circle around the lithe man, then Zelgadis changed directions to try and cut the Mazoku off. Instead Xelloss disappeared and the Chimera came to a sliding halt, panting heavily. From the direction he'd come, there was a crash though the leaves and Lina landed, falling to her knees in fatigue.  
  
"Ah, even more witnesses," Xelloss stated casually and Zelgadis turned to face the Mazoku- who's hands were empty.  
  
Snapping forward suddenly, the Chimera grabbed hold of Xelloss's throat, "Give it BACK!" he growled, "You filthy piece of shit- before I rip every last bit of you to pieces!"  
  
The Mazoku smirked. "You'll have to ask HIM." With that, Xelloss disappeared, leaving Zelgadis face to face --  
  
With himself.  
  
The young man's eyes were wide, one hand holding his practice sword, the other clutching the bracelet the Mazoku has rather suddenly given him. "What.. are you?" he asked finally, his voice.. exactly that of the Chimera's.  
  
Zelgadis staggered back, staring in horror at his double.. Non-Chimera double. Behind him, Lina came forward. "Zel-" she said, grabbing hold of his arm, "Zel!" she looked towards the young man, scowling a bit before stomping forward and snatching the bracelet from his grip. "I'm going to hurt Xelloss for this.. involving innocents in his games," she muttered, turning her back on the strange young man that looked so familiar.  
  
She stared at Zelgadis, then blinked, looking back towards the young man. The crunch of leaves brought her attention back towards her friend. He had fallen to his knees, staring at his hands. Lina turned back toward the young man, forcing herself to take a breath and think of this logically.. SHE had to sort it out. Zelgadis had already fallen into a stupor, so it was up to her to see if he really SHOULD be upset. "Who are you?" she asked.  
  
The young man shook his head, "I- I'm Zelgadis Graywords," he stammered slightly, blinking at her a few times. "Who are you two?"  
  
Lina pursed her lips some, thinking of her next question, "Are you related to Rezo?" she asked.  
  
He furrowed his brow, "I asked you something," he almost snapped, "It'd be polite of you to answer."  
  
Immediately, the sorceress glowered, "I'm Lina Inverse, now answer my question! Are you related to Rezo the Red Priest?!" She watched his eyes widen, his involuntary step back, and his slight nod. "Was there any time in your life that you were offered the chance to become .. strong?"  
  
"Lina- that's enough," the voice came from behind her, Zelgadis's. He sounded slightly dazed. "It's obvious what happened.." he gave a bit of a snort, then burst into maniacal laughing. "He copied me- him.. the bastard! I should have killed him when I got the chance! So many chances and yet I didn't do it! The bastard!" the Chimera staggered to his feet, staring at his double.. no, his original. "Never trust family.. they'll screw you over." With that, he turned and stalked away, leaving Lina to stare at his back a moment before she dashed off after him.  
  
He stared.. in shock. That was the infamous Lina Inverse. He'd been expecting someone a bit taller- with larger breasts. And that creature with her? Was what he'd said true? Had Rezo- COPIED him?! Never trust family indeed. His hand clenched on the hilt of his sword. He couldn't go back to Rivindal now. Not when he knew this.. not when he was technically friends with Lina Inverse. And despite the fact that the one who was with her was also a Chimera, it proved that he COULD survive outside of Rivindal. Setting his shoulders, he turned back towards town, intent on getting supplies to head out on his own.  
  
** 


	9. because I got a bit more inspiration! Fo...

CH 9 (Comfort from an unexpected source)  
  
Silence pervaded the camp they'd set, having been both physically and emotionally tired from the day's events.. far too much so to have continued on through the night. Lina was still determined to get Zel to Seyruun, Zel was dragging though. Now, he sat in silence, his eyes shadowed by his hair, in his hand rested Amelia's bracelet. The firelight flickered off his shimmering hair. He hadn't moved in a while.  
  
Slowly, Lina sat forward, hands unclasping her cloak and letting both it and her shoulder guards fall to the ground. Moving around the fire, she sat beside Zelgadis, knees pulled against her chest, arms around them with one hand gripping the wrist of the other. "Zel..." she said softly. He didn't answer. Lifting her eyes from the fire, she looked towards his face, unable to see much except his nose in stark contrast of light and dark. "Zel..?" she said again, moving closer, hands reaching out, finding the tie of his cloak and gently pulling it from his shoulders. "Zelgadis, quit moping," she told him, though her voice hinted at harshness, her hands gently shook his shoulders. Crouching in front of him, her gloved hands took his face and lifted it so that the light of the fire shining over her shoulder glittered across the haunted look on his face. "I don't care if you're a clone," she told him, "I don't care and Amelia won't care. We both love you for who you are now. You're our friend, our ally. You're .. usually there when we need help, but we all get a little selfish sometimes."  
  
Zelgadis stared at her, the fire shown in her hair, giving her a halo of almost demonic red. He could barely make out her features, but knew well enough that her expression was soft. He bit his lower lip, bowing his head somewhat once more, eyes returning to the pink banded bracelet that rested in his hands. His attention was caught again by Lina as she moved closer, putting her arms around his shoulders. Clutching the bracelet in one hand, he returned the petite woman's embrace. "Thank you," he said softly into her hair, marveling at how sweet Lina could be when she wasn't annoyed. She'd grown up in the last few years.. they all had.  
  
Not far off, standing in the shadows watching the interaction, was a figure in a dark cloak. Half turning away, he sighed, amethyst eyes staring off towards the darkness with an expression that could be mistaken for melancholy. The air ripped and a figure condensed beside him. Turning, he looked at the Mazoku who had a strange liking for frogs.  
  
"Are you keeping up your end of the deal?" the frog-faced creature grated in what it thought a whisper was. One bulging yellow eye turned independently towards the campfire, and if the creature could turn any more green than it already was, it would have. "Disgusting," it muttered, "They will all be dead soon though.. but I don't see how you can stand being near the damn things as much as you are." It shook its flat head slightly.  
  
Amethyst eyes stared at the frog-man Mazoku calculatingly, "I will have my end done," he replied, "Focus your attention on your job, leave me to mine."  
  
The frog shook its head once again, the campfire light shining off the sheen of slime on its body. "She's getting impatient."  
  
A sigh, and shifting of position, a white gloved hand tightened on the tall staff he held. "Some things take time, specially with humans. To rush things would simply jeopardize what our master wants." With that, he disappeared with the sound of shredding fabric.  
  
Slowly, an independently moving yellow eye roved back towards the two mortals by the campfire, "That one.. worries me," the frog ground out and disappeared as well.  
  
**  
  
He was feeling better today, Lina could tell by how he walked with his hood down and mask off, Amelia's bracelet around his wrist. The sunlight of late morning shimmered in his hair and a light breeze gave the air a fresh smell that only the season could produce. Nature was so invigorating sometimes and it was odd how one could live in it and never notice until one's existence was threatened. "I've been thinking," he said somewhat out of the blue.  
  
Lina blinked, realizing that she'd been staring at him for quite some time. "Yeah?"  
  
Zelgadis looked down at her, his eyes clear, but he still seemed to have far too much weighing in his heart. "That letter Gourry got.. How did his family know where to find him? Hadn't the courier said he'd come from Hemsdale? That's a town to the north of Warour, we hadn't been in that town, nor anywhere up there for a long time."  
  
The sorceress frowned ever so slightly, "That's right..." the thin lines of red that made her eyebrows drew towards each other. "Something's fishy."  
  
"Especially with how Xelloss has been trying to get us side tracked.." Zelgadis replied.  
  
Tipping her head back, she gazed up at the clear blue sky, "Trying to separate us," she clarified. "One or the other of us was going to continue the journey to Seyruun, whether or not the other was coming.. you would have gone on if I'd been side tracked by that supposed all you can eat for a silver place.. and I would have gone on if you'd gone off to look in on that supposed cure those men were talking about in that tavern." Lifting a hand, she pushed her hair back over her shoulder, adjusting her gloves idly.  
  
Her garnet eyed gaze traveled over to her companion and a slight smirk touched her lips, "Gourry can't even read," she sated.  
  
Zelgadis quirked a brow slightly in return, a slightly evil grin finding it's way onto his lips, more proof of his returned self confidence. "Some interesting times coming up?"  
  
"Yeah.. I think so," she replied, cracking her knuckles. "But seeing if Amelia is alright is our first concern." He nodded his full agreement of that decision, turning his eyes forward once more.  
  
**  
  
Amelia had felt edgy all day. The dream she'd had that night.. and the night before.. and the night before. She was beginning to fear sleeping. Every night for the past week she'd had dreams of frogs.. man-sized frogs with claws and a lust for human females. She'd become their latest plaything in her dreams. She felt so violated, but couldn't tell her father about the strange dreams.. nor anyone else. If only Lina-san were there, she'd actually have someone to talk to.. someone who wouldn't send her off to a padded room so she didn't hurt herself.  
  
What really didn't make sense was that she seemed to be missing her other pink-banded bracelet.. She had one of them, but couldn't find the other. She carried the remaining one with her constantly, just to make sure it didn't go missing as well. From time to time, she saw Ailema dash through the halls, but every time she asked someone if they'd seen the strange girl, she was given an odd look and told that they hadn't seen a thing.  
  
Now, she simply kept quiet every time Ailema ghosted past, or if there was no one around, she followed the girl and attempted to talk to her. Maybe if they teamed up they could get rid of these strange Leprechaun Frogs that haunted them both...  
  
**  
  
Smoke drifted from her lips as she gazed at the rock wall of twenty feet in height and just as much width. The wall was simply a cliff in the northern mountains, but to those with the power to see, the wall had a giant five pointed star written in blood, inscriptions scrawled in concentric circles around it. She folded her arms, lazy gaze resting on this strange wall, a soft but chilly wind pulling at her long blond hair and skimpy skirt. "Soon.." she murmured to herself, turning and walking away from the wall. "Things aren't quite in place yet, but soon." Her lusty lips quirked in a wicked smile and the air ripped around her, closing in and leaving the area empty.  
  
** 


End file.
